Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children

London Borough of Camden

Conversion of a redundant leisure building to create interim accommodation for Frank Barnes School, a sign bilingual primary school for deaf children, with conference facilities, disabled access and community use.

The proposals increased the useable floor area by inserting new floors into an existing triple height space, extending over a terrace and converting showers and changing rooms. Throughout, alterations were required to make the building suitable for use as a school, including increased natural ventilation and lighting, increased acoustic absorbency and separation between spaces, new guarding and protection against solar radiation and glare.

Colour is used to help make clear the organisational structure and give a new identity to the building; planting, natural timber screens and rubberised play surfaces are used to soften the appearance of the existing building.